2003: EU High victory spoils Colin Kaepernick’s prep debut

Ten years ago on Oct. 8, 2003 East Union High posted a 41-13 win over Pitman High in Turlock on Thursday, spoiling the Pride’s varsity football debut.

EU was led by senior running back Nick Turner, who shredded the Pride’s defense with 173 yards on 16 carries while scoring a pair of first-half touchdowns. Sharing the Lancer scoring were Aaron Amos on a three- yard pass from Kevin Renke and Eric Texeira on runs of two and 33 yards. Pitman showed that they could pass also as quarterback Colin Kaepernick showed both poise and an adeptness at finding his targets.

Eighty years ago, on September 29, 1933, Modesto High gave the Manteca High Buffaloes a 19-6 trouncing at Modesto. Lack of reserve strength, which the Modesto team had in abundance, proved the downfall of the local boys. Manteca’s only score came on the last play of the game when Milo Candini reversed the ball to Theodore Abrew, who lateraled to Joe Escobar, who went 20 yards to a touchdown.

In other sports stories from the Bulletin files:

60 years ago: October 1, 1953 – Last Friday evening, Manteca High was defeated by Turlock High in a hard-fought contest on the Manteca gridiron by a score of 14-0. Manteca’s defense again looked very good in holding Turlock to a total net yardage of 141 yards. Leo Martin and Jim Coveney provided the Turlock backfield with plenty of headaches during the evening’s contest with their smashing style of defensive play.

50 years ago: October 3, 1963 – Turlock High scored first and last on Friday night, but in between, Manteca High racked up six touchdowns of their own to romp to an easy 40-12 win. Buffalo Coach Phil Harmon used 31 of his 33 players in the first half, even though the score showed 34-6 at the half. Once again, it was the arm of senior quarterback Paul Goodwin leading the way, as he completed 10 of 16 passes for two touchdowns. Goodwin connected with Lowell Grissom for his scoring aerials. Other Manteca touchdowns were by Ron Brown on a one-yard run, Bill Mendosa on a 30-yard run, John Hunter, who took a 24-yard pass from Wally Yamasaki, and Tony Dutra, who recovered a Turlock fumble in the end zone. Baxter Dunn kicked four extra points. Grissom turned in his usual outstanding defensive game with 10 unassisted tackles.

40 years ago: October 3, 1973 – East Union High, unleashing a bevy of hard-running backs, racked up four touchdowns and 307 offensive yards in the first half and coasted to an easy 33-6 win over Calaveras High last Friday night. Coach Vern Gebhardt pulled his starters after half-time. Carl Esquivel ran for an average of 13.4 yards per carry and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard romp. Quarterback Ron Barretto also chalked up a pair of scores, passing to Darrell Hardcastle for one and carrying the ball over for the other TD. Dana Taylor scored the other on a three-yard run. Backup fullback Doug Swift grabbed 38 yards on a single carry and finished the game with 103 on only seven trips. Esquivel paced the Union Roaders with 161 yards and Taylor had 121 yards.

The Stockton Lightning Bugs blasted Tradeway Chevrolet 14-4 in fall baseball last Sunday afternoon. Chris Elliott, Miles Branson, Al Coughran and Ron Munoz all had two hits each for Tradeway. Elliott’s total included a long triple in the first inning.

Mark Duncan scored a pair of touchdowns and quarterback Matt Rouse had a masterful passing game with a bruising running attack Thursday night as Manteca High eased past Granada High 25-7 in a non-league contest. Rouse passed for a pair of scores, 43 yards to Craig Bobson and 13 yards to Gary Shupe. Rich Brocchini kicked the lone extra point.

The East Union High harriers couldn’t seem to get it together last Monday when they were beaten by Oakdale High 21-39. Jerry Tucker, EU’s premier cross country runner, set a new three-mile course record of 15:56 in taking first place.

Getting an unexpected scare from an unknown St. Mary’s High team, the Manteca High cross-country squad barely edged the visiting parochials, 26-30 Monday afternoon. Mike Packer turned the three-mile course in 16:03 to take first place.

30 years ago: October 5, 1983 – Manteca High’s volleyball team kept their perfect Valley Oak League record intact with a victory over Oakdale High 15-1, 15-8. Lady Buff Terri Menezes was the hot server on the night at Winter Gym.

Lynn Henderson breezed through three sets without dropping a game Thursday to propel the Manteca High tennis squad to a 15-0 thrashing of cross-town rival East Union High on the MHS courts. Other Buff winners were Ranata Scholl, Katy McKenzie, and the duos of Junior Ruble-Stephanie Flowers and Leslie Toy-Vickie Eavenson.

A 64-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter gave Beyer High a close 28-27 win over a frustrated East Union High football team. The score was the only one in the final two quarters of the game.

Running back Johnny Flores rushed for a pair of touchdowns and caught a 22-yard pass for another as the Manteca High football team overcame a rash of penalties to keep its perfect pre-league record intact with a 28-20 victory over Downey High Friday night in Modesto. The Buffaloes of Coach Mickey Founts are off to their best start since 1972. Quarterback Pete Nelson completed 10 of 20 passes for 130 yards. He also scored the Buffs’ other touchdown with a three-yard run in the first quarter.

20 years ago: October 3, 1993 – While the Manteca High soccer team remained in the thick of the VOL race with a 3-2 victory over Sonora High, defending champion East Union High saw its hopes dim with a 1-1 tie with Oakdale High on Monday. The Buffs improved to 8-1with the win in Sonora. Justin Fatzer scored two of the three MHS goals and passed to David Hauser for the other score. Meanwhile, the Lancers surrendered a goal in the final five minutes to the Mustangs. The Lancers went ahead early on a goal by Justin Coenenberg.

The Manteca High tennis team scored a 13.5-1.5 victory Tuesday over cross-town rival East Union High. Andrea Belluomini, Karen DeGroot and Min-Li Wong won all three of their sets for MHS. The Lady Lancer doubles team of Liz Young-Lorna Nelson scored the EU points.

East Union High’s volleyball team was left without bus transportation to their game at Oakdale High on Thursday night, but they managed to get there and ended up claiming a 10-15, 17-15, 15-8, 15-3 VOL victory. Danelle Liles had 10 stuff blocks to lead the Lady Lancers in defense at the net. Diann Aufdermaur had 12 kills for EU.

The Manteca High volleyball team broke a two-game losing streak in the VOL with a 15-12, 15-13, 15-9 win over host Los Banos High on Tuesday. Terri Richichi had 17 digs on the night for the Lady Buffs.

Gene Ballardo scored three touchdowns to lead East Union High to a 42-12 rout over visiting Livingston High on Friday night. Coach Jim Brown’s Lancers are now 5-0 on the season. Ballardo ran one in from 13 yards out, caught 37-yard scoring pass from quarterback Ben Kelley and returned a fumble another 37 yards to score. Brach Harris also scored three times for EU, running for eight and 17 yards and then catching a 22-yard pass from Kelley. Completing only four passes in the game, Kelley made them good for 100 yards. Ballardo kicked six exta points in the win.

Manteca High’s defense came through with a 35-0 taming of host Ceres High on Friday night. The Buffalo defense held the Bulldogs to just 36 rushing yards and recovered a pair of Ceres fumbles on the night. Don Morgan scored two of the MHS touchdowns, on a 68-yard pass from John Kent and on a four-yard run. Other scores were by Jamayo Seward from 11 yards out and by Jason Sutton on a three-yard run. Mario Pimentel ran an intercepted pass back 22 yards for the other Buff touchdown. Brian Hemmann kicked five extra points.

10 years ago: October 8, 2003 – Visiting Oakdale High took advantage of free-ball passes and countered with big hitting en route to an 18-25, 21-25, 25-21, 11-25 win over Sierra High in Valley Oak League volleyball action Tuesday night. Jennifer Hendowski led the Timberwolves with 12 kills, five digs and two blocks in a losing cause.

A quick start granted Manteca High’s soccer team a 2-0 lead that lasted all game, the Buffaloes coming away with a win on Tuesday over East Union High. Anthony King and Jacob Escobedo accounted for all the scoring in the game. The Lancers managed only five shots on goal.

Playing without team leader Brittany Weldon, the East Union High volleyball team dropped a 22-25, 20-25, 25-19, 19-25 match to host Los Banos High on Tuesday. For the second straight match, Sam Wendt batted in 17 kills and had five blocks for the Lancers.

Jamie Rosenow had two key victories on Tuesday as the East Union High tennis team edged Manteca High 8-7. EU’s Anjelica Dill-James swept her singles opponents. The Buff duos of Kelly Smith-Ashley Gurney and Kim Somera-Melody Jamie were winners.

Winning the last two games, the Manteca High volleyball team came away with a five-game win over host Sonora High on Tuesday. The scores were 21-25, 26-24, 13-25, 26-24, 15-13. Ashley Williams led Coach Jessica Harty’s girls with 14 kills and three blocks.

The Sierra High soccer team got back on the winning track Tuesday with a 3-0 win over visiting Los Banos High. Matt Dermaux, Joe Pires and Danny Rosas scored for the T’wolves. Nick Erickson had two saves and Jason Morrow registered four in goal for the shutout.

The Manteca High golfers took down Pitman High 264-315 Monday at the Manteca Park course. The Buffs (10-3) were paced by Jenny Beggs, who shot a 45.

Manteca High had big plays Friday night at Guss Schmiedt Field to down winless Los Banos High 20-10. Roman Peniriam scored on a 55-yard pass from quarterback Sam Miller, Ronald Hodge scored on a seven yard run and Michael Turner returned an intercepted pass for 43 yards for the Buffalo scoring. Bryan Loweree booted a pair of extra points.

Sonora High mauled Sierra High 55-7 Friday night in VOL football action at Daniel Teicheira Memorial Stadium. The only T’wolf score was a six- yard run by Ray Mathiesse in the fourth quarter.